


Harry Potter and Christianity

by EtherealBrook



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christian Themes in Harry Potter, Christianity, Essay, Harry Potter - Freeform, J.K. Rowling - Freeform, Spoilers, persuasive essay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 12:38:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5928840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealBrook/pseuds/EtherealBrook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter is such a controversial subject for Christians. It seems no one can decide whether it is from the devil or just a fictional series. Can the children to young adult books be encouraging the use of witchcraft? Or do they provide enjoyment for people who like to read? (Contains untagged spoilers)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Harry Potter and Christianity

Harry Potter and Christianity  
Harry Potter is such a controversial subject for Christians. It seems no one can decide whether it is from the devil or just a fictional series. Can the children to young adult books be encouraging the use of witchcraft? Or do they provide enjoyment for people who like to read? Many websites can be found saying that J. K. Rowling confirmed she wrote it to convert children to witchcraft, it is not so. There are also websites that say that vaccines cause autism, and we know that’s not true. Rowling states on her website: “I was traveling back to London on my own on a crowded train, and the idea for Harry Potter simply fell into my head” (It All Started on Platform 9 3/4). This essay will attempt to prove the innocent intent behind the Harry Potter series, and show the good that can come from the series.  
The Harry Potter series is about Harry Potter, a young orphan who learns he is a wizard. He attends Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry and learns about magic. Harry is taught how to perform spells and jinxes by various teachers. He learns the meaning of true friendship and bravery throughout the series.  
First, allow me to make one thing very clear. The witchcraft and wizardry practiced in Harry Potter is not the witchcraft that Witches and Wizards following the Wiccan religion do. “Responding to questions as to why Wicca, a modern pagan religion that also uses the words ‘witch’ and ‘wizard’ to describe its members, was not represented at Hogwarts, Rowling said: ‘It's a different concept of magic to the one laid out in the books, so I don't really see how they can co-exist’” (Battersby). There are Jews, Christians, and others attending Hogwarts. Indeed, at Hogwarts, they celebrate Christmas. They have Christmas break. Not once in the series is it called ‘winter break’ or ‘winter holiday,’ as many modern secular organizations refer to it. They also celebrate Easter break at Hogwarts, not spring break. Rowling is not a witch. She never has been. She’s a Christian, as she has said many times. The spells in Harry Potter are made up by Rowling. She was asked in an interview: ’“How did you make the spells? Did you make them up, or are they real names of people and places?’ J.K. Rowling responds: ‘The spells are made up.’” (“About the Books: transcript of J.K. Rowling's live interview on scholastic.com”).They emerge from Latin words. For example, “accio,” the summoning charm, comes from the same Latin word, ‘accio,’ which means “I summon.”  
There are also very strong Christian themes in Harry Potter. It is fundamentally a battle or good against evil, and a big metaphor for racism. The big struggle is against people who believe that wizarding blood is pure, and witches and wizards born from muggles (non-magic people) are unworthy. The Purebloods dub themselves superior to muggle-borns and muggles themselves. They see others as less than them. Just as in the real world, some people believe that the color of your skin determines your value, many Purebloods believe that your blood status determines your worth. The conflict is about treating humans as humans, created in the image and likeness of God.  
Probably the biggest theme in the book is the power of love. Harry is only still alive because of his mother’s love. When Lord Voldemort tried to kill Harry, right after Harry’s mother sacrificed her life in an attempt to save her son, the curse rebounded on Voldemort. This curse, the killing curse, is the only curse that has never failed, but it failed to kill Harry because of his mother. A relevant quote from the books: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, pity those who live without love” (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). At the end of book five, after experiencing the death of someone close to him, Harry goes into a rage. Allow me to quote again: 

“I don’t want to talk about how I feel, alright?”  
“Harry, suffering like this proves you are still a man! This pain is a part of being human-”  
“THEN—I---DON’T---WANT---TO---BE---HUMAN! ... I DON’T CARE! I’VE HAD ENOUGH, I’VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON’T CARE ANYMORE—” ...  
“You do care,” said Dumbledore … “You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death from the pain of it.” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).

In this very intense scene, we witness Harry, questioning what it means to be human. The books recognize that emotions, negative and positive, make us human. The love and hurt and joy and sorrow set us apart from animals.  
And another fact: Harry, the ‘Chosen One’ who is supposed to save the whole world, actually dies and comes back to life. Does that remind you of anyone?  
All this aside, these books can teach you about yourself. At Hogwarts, there are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. At Hogwarts, your house is like your family. You eat with them, go to class with them, and sleep in your house dormitories. Everyone has a house. At the beginning of each school year, there is a sorting ceremony for the new students. The ‘Sorting Hat,’ a hat that can read the mind of the one wearing it, decides which house best suits you by personality. The Gryffindors are “brave at heart. Their daring nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone). The Hufflepuffs are loyal, hardworking, accepting, and kind. The Ravenclaws are intelligent, original, creative, and witty. The Slytherins are ambitious and cunning. I identify strongly with my own house, Ravenclaw. When Pottermore, the official Harry Potter website where you can get officially sorted, sorted me into Ravenclaw, I was relieved. I always assumed I was Ravenclaw, but I never truly knew. Ravenclaw has taught me so much about myself. I would never have thought to describe myself as ‘creative,’ but it truly suits me. I am creative, it’s one of my God-given gifts. I don’t mean I use Ravenclaw as bragging rights, I just realized how much their character traits are like me when I was sorted. My younger brother was sorted into Hufflepuff, and it really suits him. He’s loyal to death, and he makes friends with literally everyone he meets.  
On the subject of learning about yourself from Harry Potter, I would like to mention the characters. Harry is a brave boy who must face the darkest wizard of the century. Hermione is a clever girl who knows everything. Ron is the youngest son of seven, and is surpassed by his older brothers his entire life. After the “Golden Trio,” as they have been dubbed, we have the minor characters. As there are many, many minor characters in the Harry Potter series, allow me to mention my favorites. Neville is a boy who feared he wasn’t brave enough for Gryffindor. Luna Lovegood is a girl who has her head in the clouds but her heart in the right place. Professor Albus Dumbledore is the wise old mentor. As with any book you read, you will learn about yourself from the characters, recognizing the course of action you would take compared to the one they take.  
Harry Potter is one of the most beloved children's series ever. The Harry Potter books and movies are not satanist propaganda, but a children’s series. It is possible to love Harry Potter and God, I am a living example. I am a huge fan of the series, and have been since I first read them. I have two complete sets of the Harry Potter series, and three copies of the first and fourth books. I also have the complete boxed set of the BluRay discs, a t-shirt with the Ravenclaw house crest. In essence, I am a Potterhead through and through. I am also a devout Catholic. I will not go into details of my spiritual life, but I can assure you I am a religious person. Enjoying the Harry Potter books and being religious are not very related facts. As long as children know that the magic in Harry Potter isn’t real, there is no reason to prevent them from reading the popular series.

 

 

Works Cited  
"About the Books: transcript of J.K. Rowling's live interview on scholastic.com.” Accio-quote. n.p. 16 October 2000. Web. 5 February 2016.  
Battersby, Matilda. “Harry Potter author JK Rowling says Wiccans 'cannot co-exist' with witches and wizards at Hogwarts.” Independent. n.p. 17 December 2014. Web. 5 February 2016.  
“It All Started With Platform 9 3/4.” jkrowling. n.p. n.d. Web. 5 February 2016.  
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print.  
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003. Print.  
Rowling J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: 2007. Print.

**Author's Note:**

> I recently got an account on my (Catholic) school's forum. One of the threads asked for thoughts on Harry Potter, and I was unsurprised (but still upset) to find many people claiming it was from Satan. As I knew that to be untrue, I sat down to write a reply. I did not expect to write an entire essay filled with sources and citations. I usually hate writing essays. My average essay is 875 words and takes three days to write. I flew through this one, writing 1100 words in an hour and a half. Then I went back and edited everything, and now it's even longer, sitting at a pretty 1398 words. I posted it to my school's forum, and I'm praying I don't get banned. I hope you enjoyed reading my essay that was never intended to be written :) Also if you differ in opinion, I would be happy to debate with you (I really enjoy debating). Constructive criticism welcome. Have a lovely day!  
> -Eth


End file.
